UK Music has produced incontrovertible proof that there is a real commitment from local councils, licensees and venue owners for the DCMS's own proposal to allow small live-music events to operate outside the bureaucracy of the Licensing Act - something that was proposed 12 months ago by a consultation set in train by the last Government.

While nothing happened during 2010 with that DCMS consultation - which opened on December 31, 2009 - or with further Coalition promises to cut ...